Delhi gangrape victim doesn’t know she can’t eat

The 23-year-old victim was put off ventilator on Friday and has been breathing normally on her own. “She asked for water the moment she was able to speak after the tubes were removed from her mouth,” said Dr BD Athani, medical superintendent, Safdarjung Hospital.

“She hasn’t been allowed to talk much, but she asked for food and water in the morning. She doesn’t know she can’t eat or drink because she doesn’t have the intestines,” her brother said. Doctors could only allow her a spoonful of water.

Her condition showed marginal improvement on Friday, with the vital parameters, such as pulse rate, urine output and blood pressure, within acceptable limits. But doctors were concerned about a possible liver dysfunction.

“This hints at infection setting in inside the abdomen and reduced immunity. But the girl is young and has tremendous fighting spirit, so we are hopeful that she will come out of it,” said Dr Athani.

To meet her daily nutritional requirements, the girl has been put on Total Parenteral Nutrition, which is supplying a mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats through the intravenous route directly into the blood stream.

“Our primary concern is to contain infection and two important factors for that are putting the patient on prophylactic antibiotics and maintaining high standards of hygiene in the intensive care unit,” said Dr MC Misra, chief, AIIMS trauma centre, who is also assisting the team of doctors treating the victim.

Many people have offered to help the family by funding the victim’s treatment. The health ministry also assured all possible help to her for her advanced treatment, including an organ transplant.

The director general of health services has constituted a five-member panel of doctors, headed by Dr SC Sharma, head of department, surgery unit, AIIMS, to look after the girl.